Bono, left, and Rihanna perform at the “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief”.

Grim-faced celebrities and musicians with mournful tunes set the tone for the all-star, international "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" telethon, which featured two hours of desperate pleas for an even more-desperate nation. But it ended on a hopeful note, with a buoyant call for Haiti's revival by native son, Wyclef Jean.
"Enough of this moping man, let's rebuild Haiti, let's show 'em how we do it where we come from!" Jean shouted after singing the slow song "Rivers of Babylon," with a Haitian flag around his neck.
He segued into the joyful tune "Yele" with an island beat, as musicians danced around him, singing the refrain: "Earthquake, we see the earth shake, but the soul of the Haitian people will never break!"
It was a stark contrast from the opening of the telecast: no words, simply photos of Haiti's tragic citizens as a backdrop, as Alicia Keys called for the help of angels in sombre tune.
"Can you send me an angel to guide me?" Keys sang in the evening's first performance, from her song "Prelude to a Kiss." There was no audience or applause, allowing the moment to sink in for the millions expected to watch worldwide.
"The Haitian people need our help," said George Clooney, who helped organise the two-hour telecast. "They need to know that they are not alone. They need to know that we still care."
Then, after an impassioned plea from Halle Berry, Bruce Springsteen dedicated a song for Haiti -- "We Shall Overcome."
Since Haiti suffered the devastating earthquake on January 12 that killed more than 200,000 people, the entertainment world has responded with an outpouring of charity, from million dollar donations to songs designed to raise money for relief.
On Friday, those efforts became collective as the biggest celebrities from music, film, sports and even politics joined together for the telethon. Stars like Mel Gibson and Reese Witherspoon manned telephone lines while CNN's Anderson Cooper gave reports from Haiti. Heartbreaking video showed Haitians buried in rubble and badly injured, with tears and overwhelming sorrow etched on their faces.
Most of the musical performances were downbeat, emotional songs. Kid Rock, Keith Urban and Sheryl Crow sang "Lean On Me." Beyoncé, with Coldplay's Chris Martin backing her on piano, revised her hit "Halo" with new lyrics: "Haiti we can see your halo, we pray you won't fade away."
Jay-Z, Rihanna and U2's Bono and The Edge debuted a new song, "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)."
The telethon was featured on all the major networks and channels such as MTV, BET, Bravo, PBS, Fuse, CNN, and more than a dozen others. It was also streamed live on sites like YouTube and MySpace.
The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and United Nations World Food Programme have joined the list of relief organisations that will benefit from "Hope for Haiti Now," which also includes Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, and Yele Haiti Foundation. Proceeds from "Hope for Haiti Now" will be split evenly among each organisation's individual funds for Haiti earthquake relief.
"Hope for Haiti Now" is the most widely distributed telethon in history, both internationally and across media platforms.